My first sword
June 5, 2007 – 12:23 pm
So my second smithy / sword shop is up and running at my second fair. The second one being much nicer / custom than the first since I designed and built most of the thing. The first building was something I purchased and modified. I am getting ready to go down to where I heat treat blades and do up a batch. I checked my email before I left and someone sent me a link to a website with a picture of my very first sword and this description:
“At Convocation in Troy, Michigan with Angela Tagett and Denessa and Annette Smith just after the Tempest Smith Foundation benefit auction. Angela won a duplicate of my personal spellbook, and Annette and Denessa won The Tempest, a sword handcrafted by A.J. Drew.” - from www.dorothymorrison.com
Its been a long time since that first sword. She came back to me last year for a polish and I think I made a leather sheath for her. As I recall, she sold at auction for just under $1000.00 with proceeds to benefit the Tempest Smith Foundation. A very good cause and I am glad my first sword found such a good home. But my how things have changed. Back in the day, it took me weeks to pound out a single blade.
3 Responses to “My first sword”
What type of swords do you make? For example, do you make katana’s, or other Eastern swords? Or do you make only straight blades? How much do you charge for a sword? And could you custom build one for my grip?
By WonderGoon on Jun 8, 2007
My off the rack, hand forged, high carbon (usually 1075) spring steel, plain jane, welded guard, leather wrapped hilt, 36ish inch Katana run about $300.00 but sold my last this past weekend. Will certianly have more by the Ohio Ren and RWB.
Right now, it is all I can do to get enough plain jane work done for the fair that I do not have anything special planned. Until after RWB when my work season is over. As an example of special things, on the sword depicted above, the blade rises through an interlaced pentagram which I cast from about a pound of sterling silver. So giving prices on anything other than plain jane is kind of hard to do. It all depends on where the muses take me and how long it takes to get there.
I do not currently do custom work at all, prefering to dance to my own beat for the time being.
By A.J. Drew on Jun 11, 2007
Hmm. Okey dokey. Thanks for the information.
By WonderGoon on Jun 12, 2007